As computer technology has advanced, the role of computers in our daily lives has expanded, as has the need for various peripheral or supporting devices. One typical peripheral device used with computers is a printer, which generates hard copies of electronic data. The types and capabilities of available printers have similarly been expanding, resulting in a wide variety of printers with a range of printing capabilities, performance, and price.
One significant expansion in the use of computer technology is the networking of computers. Networking computers together allows the computers to communicate with one another as well as with other devices, such as printers. As computer networks, such as the Internet, continue to develop, there is increasing demand for additional and improved functionalities that draw upon and exploit the full computing potential of computer networks.
One area in which such networking could be used is account billing. For example, copy and printing centers typically accommodate pay printing by allowing users to print a document to a controlled printing device, pick-up the document at a check-out counter, and pay for the printed document based upon its length and/or other attributes. Such an arrangement is common, for instance, on campus copy/printing centers. More desirable, however, would be a system and method that is more automated and therefore more convenient for the user. For example, a system and method that allows for a walk-up service would be very convenient for users.